Nothing But The Beat
by Evening Falls
Summary: Ordinary Marco Bodt, a normal youth majoring in the Fine Arts and Arts tires of the constant loneliness and mundane lifestyle of University. However, his life is completely thrown upside down when he meets the charming, charismatic but somewhat stubborn Music major and rising DJ, Jean Kirschtein during ladies night at his favourite club. JeanMarco and smut! :)
1. Chapter 1

_No I haven't forgotten about 'A Pirate's life for me'. Not by a long shot… I was inspired to write a JeanMarco __fan fiction from this beautiful fan art by Sizzleshorts, titled 'Music Lover'. So this is dedicated to you! I hope you enjoy it. _

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_It was a typical Thursday night at The Golden Sheaf club, bright fluorescent lights, trance music, the free flow of alcohol, the laughter... but that one night was special. It was that one ordinary day I saw you there. You were smiling, eyes animated, absolutely lost in love with the music that played around you… and you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen._

_..._

My name is Marco Bodt and there isn't much about me that makes me interesting. In fact, I think I might be the most ordinary person you'd ever find in the world. I'm just one man. I'm a student at Hermiha University and I live in Trost Dorm, a second year, fresh and twenty at the spring of my youth what ever that means. I study Fine Arts/Arts and I can play the piano. Another thing… I am single. Single but lonely as fuck… and I like… well I like guys. Yes… I am gay. There I said it.

You see what I mean? I'm a pretty boring guy, if you counted liking men normal.

I was finishing off a painting assessment on a late Thursday afternoon. My classes had finished and I had free time. The painting was nothing special, just a close up of an assemblage of wine bottles covered in melted wax, fruit and candles and to be honest I was not in the mood for painting. The subject matter wasn't inspiring enough for me. I released an aggravated sigh as I washed my oil coated paint brushes in odourless solvent, lost in my own thoughts. I was feeling a little down hearted that day but I was unsure why. At least the day was nice enough though. The brilliant sun was warm, the sky clear of clouds.

'Marco! Marco are you finished for the day?"

I turned to the doorway and smiled at the two girls who entered. Let me introduce you to Christa Lenz and her girlfriend Ymir. The girl who spoke first is in my painting class, a small pretty girl, with the most angelic face and hair so golden it looked as if the sun had kissed it, walked up to look at my work so far. Her companion, the tall and tomboyish young woman with freckles adoring her tanned placid face followed close behind her, hands tucked deep within the pockets of her baggy jeans.

"Yeah I'm done. Not finished but I'm done" I replied, trying my best to wipe away the oil paint that was left on my hands.

Ymir casually leant against the wall space reserved for displaying painting assessments. She was not a dual degree student but she came to the Fine Arts campus enough for others to believe she was one. She gave me a curt nod and I nodded back.

"You up for food?" Ymir asked.

My stomach answered for me, growling loudly like a wild animal. I blushed trying my best to muffle the sound with my arms.

Christa smiled brightly.

"I take that as a yes"

"The usual place? The Bookstore Café?"

"Yeah. Just let me put my stuff away".

It didn't take me long to clear up my things. Before I knew it, I collected my personal belongs and followed my friends to our favourite café just across the road from my Fine Arts campus. The café was pretty popular amongst students. The food was of good quality, inexpensive and they made the best baking goods in the world. I expected my other Fine Arts friends to be there, stating their claim at the farthest table from the right where rows of books lined the walls and towered over them. Connie Springer, a short bald young man was currently fighting with his girlfriend Sasha Blouse, a brunette who had just eaten his portion of a Caramel and Walnut slice, crumbs speckled around her mouth, her face content. This was a normal and daily occurrence and their little banter gave me comfort, knowing I have good friends.

I ordered myself a flat white coffee and a beef sourdough sandwich then sat myself down on one of the large arm chairs the café offered as seating, relishing the softness. It was like a bed.

"Marco can please stop potato girl from eating my food!?" Connie whined.

I shrugged but smiled.

"She's your girlfriend. Why would Sasha listen to me?" I said, drinking the hot coffee.

Sasha merely grinned, licking the last of the caramel that was left on her pink lips. I was amazed how a girl can eat so much yet staid so slender. She went against the typical stereotype of 'don't eat, stay thin' kind of girl.

Ymir and Christa pulled up a chair.

"Keep a better eye on your girl then. I do" Ymir said, pulling Christa on her lap and kissing her cheek. Christa blushed.

"Hey as it's Ladies night tonight, Connie and I were thinking of going to the Golden Sheaf for drinks! You should come! I heard they've hired a new DJ!"

"Woman that was your idea! No way am I paying your drinks again and dragging you out the club!"

"Come on Baldie! It will be fun!" Sasha exclaimed, rubbing Connie's cropped hair affectionately.

"I have no problems providing Christa and I can get down on the dance floor right Christa?"

Christa smiled and nodded.

I shrugged my shoulders. I was pretty much up to date with my uni work and and I had no objections not going. The Sheaf was a good place to hang out.

"I'm free tonight" I said finally.

"Great then we're ALL going!" Sasha cheered.

"Wait! Sasha I didn't agree to this!" Connie said.

"I said we're ALL going right Connie?" Sasha gave Connie a sly look. I swear I saw Connie's eyebrow twitch.

"Fine. We're ALL going. I can't believe I'm going out with you mental woman" Connie said begrudgingly.

"Because you love me!"

I chuckled. Yup… My friends in a nutshell.

**[Few hours later, in front of Trost Dorm student parking lot]**

I stood outside the Torst dormitory, shivering in my black woollen sweater, wishing I had put on a thicker shirt before hand. I had no heart to run up and get one. Any minute now, Ymir would be driving past Trost dorm in her Silver Coralla Toyota, any minute with the others. It was an unusually cold evening for June. The wind was icy, like sharp whips against my cheeks and I couldn't help but mutter complaints of annoyance and the fashionable lateness of friends.

After another agonising eight minutes, (I kept checking the time of my IPhone) Ymir pulled up in her somewhat dented car with the laughing people inside it, Christa at her right and Connie and Sasha sitting in the back. I looked suspiciously at the occasional black smoke the smelled distinctly like soot and diesel that belched occasionally at the back of the exhaust pipe. It was ages since Ymir had her car serviced properly.

"You just gonna stand and gawk freckled Jesus or are you going to get in?" Ymir called out from the open window.

I rolled my eyes and got into the back, as Sasha scooted into the middle seat to make room for me and soon we were driving on the highway to our destination.

"Eeek! I'm so excited!" Sasha exclaimed. She seemed more hyperactive than usual.

"Why so?" I asked, generally curious about her behaviour.

"I heard the new DJ at the Golden Sheaf is apparently amazing! And he's hot and single!"

Connie glared and I chuckled at his jealousy.

"Hey! You have me but you're all over another guy…"

Sasha gave Connie a sideways glance.

"But then again… he isn't as cute as my Connie!"

"Okay shut yer trap back there you love birds. We're almost there" Ymir called back, turning her head round sharply, swerving to the right an narrowly missing an incoming bus. Needless to say, I almost lost my dinner.

The Golden Sheaf club was located in the inner west of the City of Shiganshina, a popular place for university students such as myself to have some fun. Not only that, the club was centralised right in the middle of the gay district. The gay flag pride hung on every building, fluro lights danced from the interior of the stripper clubs. The streets were lined with couples, be it straight or gay. As we drove past them and parked the car a few blocks away from the club, I felt the all too familiar sense of jealousy of seeing happy couples in each others arms, holding hands tightly or stealing a quick kiss in the shadows of alley ways. The Golden Sheaf certainly lived up to its reputation of being one of the best clubs in the city. It had a large interior, good food and a vide variety of beverages. The decor although was a little flashy and garish for my taste. At least every object was covered in gold the furniture to the whimsical floral wall paper patterns in there quieter rooms for groups to talk, to the wheat golden beer bottles that lined the fridges, club lights flashed warm yellow sunlight, golden glitter littered the table. Even the waiters and waitresses themselves were dressed in golden uniforms. Seriously… everything was covered in gold.

As it was ladies night, the club was absolutely packed with people to the point it was stifling. I cannot fathom how Ymir had managed to grab a sofa area and table right next to the dance floor. I mean, it was absolute chaos for me at the bar area. It took at least over thirty minutes for the somewhat stressful young bar tender to take my order. Just a light beer. I gave him a tip for his hard work… he certainly looked like he needed it.

It was a tight squeeze on the sofa but somehow we managed to all fit. I sipped the refreshing beverage. The sweet and bitter liquid coated my parched tongue and slid blissfully down my throat. I was thirsty. The sound of laughter, the hypnotic rhythm of the trance music that boomed from the speakers, my friends idle chatter, the vibrant colour of gold and the pink and purple flood lights on the dance floor soon mixed in with alcohol, the delicious and warm cocktail of student life. My head buzzed, and I laughed at my friends steadily redding friends knowing that matched them in appearance. The alcohol was getting to me quicker then I expected. I would probably have a serious hang over the next morning but at that moment, I didn't care. Life was good at the moment. Time was absolutely incomprehensible to me. What was time? What was temporality? Everything just stood in a bubble of life and laughter.

"Christa and I are going on the dance floor!" Ymir said in an unusual sing song voice. Her face was so red I could hardly see the freckles on her face. How was she going to drive in that state.

"Hey Connie, Sasha. You coming?"

I looked at the others and I cringed slightly at the sight of the two with their tongues practically down each other's throats.

"Leave them be" I said.

"You Marco?"

I shook my head. I did want to get a glass of water though.

"Nah. I'm going to get some water from the bar" I replied, sidling out of the sofa area.

Ymir shrugged then dragged Christa towards the mass of people that already had swarmed the dance floor.

As I stood up, I noticed the choice of music had suddenly changed… not in the bad sense. In fact, quite the contrary. The music was absolutely amazing. As I waited in the cue at the bar area I couldn't help but tap my foot and fingers with the syncopated and catchy rhythms that played. The music had completely enraptured me. A compilation of recent hits and old favourites back from my childhood smoothly fitting in between standard 4 part chordal structures. Synths, smooth as honey or sharp and inconsistent would occasionally interrupt the song lyrics like static. I was impressed. Whoever was DJ certainly knew what he was doing.

"Hey, so you just wanted water right?"

As if broken out of a trance, I was suddenly brought back into the surroundings of club life. The bar tender in front of me looked somewhat impatient.

I blushed slightly.

"Yeah thanks"

He somewhat moodily poured water straight from the tap into a clean glass before sliding it carefully across the counter. I took it silently. In the mass of people, I tried to find my friends but they had disappeared. I felt left out. I had no one to talk to… Well after all, I was technically a third wheel who came along with the couples. I was a drifter really. With my water in my hand, I walked closer to the dance floor, trying to find an empty space for me to sit down.

It was then I saw you there. Right there at the DJ stand, above everyone. You were smiling, eyes animated, absolutely lost in love with the music that played around you and you were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Such a stranger like you shouldn't be so beautiful. I heard that angels were stunning but you… you were absolutely breathtaking. And you were merely a youth, a man like me. Your hair was styled in a two toned undercut, darker shorter hairs residing under the longer brownish gold ones that were hidden underneath the cutest grey beanie and red and black head phones. If I could give you a colour, it would be red. You were wearing it underneath that tailored dark jacket and it suited you so. Red, the colour of passion, of mystery and warmth, just like your golden eyes that matched the golden decor around me. Your eyes radiated with a warmth and gentleness that took my breath away. If only I had foreseen that day when I first met you. I only wish I knew then that you would be the most important person in the world to me. It was that day ordinary Thursday night I had fallen in love with Jean Kirschtein.

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And that's it so far. Feedback would be very much appreciated! I will try and update a Pirate's Life for me as soon as possible once my exams are over next week. After next week, I'm free as a bird!

Love Evening Falls


	2. Stubborn As a Horse

_Marco you really are a clumsy one aren't you? Had a little time to myself so I managed to write another chapter. I received positive and great critical feedback from people. I may not be able to update as frequently after until my exams are finished. I have a fair idea of where this story is going to go unlike my other SNK fan fiction… I still have tons to write for that __fan fiction. I will update! I promise!_

_Anyway. I hope you enjoy. I feel this is going to be less angst an turn into something stupidly and stereotypically fluffy… (And smutty…) :3 :3 :3_

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_It was that ordinary Thursday night that I had fallen in love with Jean Kirschtein..._

I don't exactly recall how long I stood there, staring, completely in awe at both his beautiful face nor how long I marvelled his passion for what he did as a profession... but I definitely remember Ymir tapping me on the shoulder and waving her hand in front of my face. One arm hung limply over Christa's shoulders. Christa looked as if she was about to collapse under the strain of Ymir's weight. I couldn't blame her, the way Ymir had difficulty holding herself upright definitely told me she had more than five drinks. I guess I was driving home tonight. I looked back at Ymir's face and I spotted a smug expression adorning it, a thin sheen of sweat and a vivid flush covering her cheeks either from her earlier alcohol consumption or from dancing. I sipped my water, slightly annoyed that she had caught me standing in the middle of the dance floor gawking like a complete idiot at the DJ.

She gestured to the DJ with her thumb.

"I see you have your eyes on Kirschtein?" she shouted in my ear so she could be heard over the loud din of dub step.

"Kirschtein?"

"The new DJ freckles! Jean Kirschtein" she replied laughing, whacking me on the back side of my head.

I rubbed my head. She could hit hard.

"Jeeaann" I slowly rolled the name on my tongue, elongating the constants more to myself than to Ymir. The name although simple somehow had a mysteriously exotic feel to it. French sounding since the 'J' was pronounced softly. It suited this person.

Ymir nodded.

"Yeah but don't even think about trying to get fresh with him… he's got a temper and he's stubborn as a horse. Apparently he's a pretty loose guy too"

"I wasn't thinking about dating anyone" I pointed out frowning.

Ymir smiled.

"You expect me to believe that? You were staring at him like a lovesick school girl"

"Fuck off Ymir!" I replied childishly, not in the mood for her teasing.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I can tell you something else though, Jean Kirschtein attends our university"

I looked at her suspiciously.

"It's true, I have Christa to back me up"

Christa gave a thumbs up in agreement.

I gulped the rest of my water and placed the glass on a nearby countertop.

"How do you know all this Ymir… it's not like you attend classes at University to know all this shit"

"Hey, I make the effort to go travel to uni, that's enough for me!" she stated back laughing.

I shook my head exasperated with her behaviour.

"Christa, why don't you find a quiet area and get your girlfriend a glass of water. We don't want her throwing up in the car when we get back to the dorms" I said weary of this conversation.

Christa gave a weak smile but tenderly lead her girlfriend to a quieter area of the bar. I shook my head smiling at the two. They made an odd but cute couple. I decided to fetch one more drink, a light beer with sprite. I was still abnormally thirsty and the bar area had grown stifling hot. I asked the waiter specifically to put more sprite than beer in my glass since I was probably going to be the one driving everyone back to the dorm tonight…

[look someone has to stay sober and it wasn't going to be Ymir or the others that's for sure].

But fighting through the crowed was another thing entirely. The club usually closed around three o'clock in the morning, thus everyone was swarming the bar area for the last round of drinks. I was overwhelmed by the feeling of sweaty limbs and sparkly sequin dresses pressing in every direction of my body as I tried, unsuccessfully to make my way out of the mass of people. Some swore and I tried to be as apologetic and decent as possible. If I angered anyone, I'd probably start a bar fight. That was not the best way to end a good club night.

My foot then suddenly collided with another person's and I immediately stumbled, drink and all right into the next person in front of me. I just managed to catch a glimpse of the icy cold concoction of ice, lemonade and beer splashing all over the person's clothes… shit.

"What the fuck! My shirt!"

Mortified at my clumsiness, I looked up and almost fainted when I discovered the same face that had absolutely enchanted me earlier before. The young man who Ymir referred to as Jean Kirschtein was covered from the torso to the waist down with my newly bought drink. His handsome face was plastered with extreme displeasure. His golden eyes that matched the very upholstery had darkened to a deep golden liquid brown, filled with utter disgust and annoyance with the feeling of sticky soda on his clothes and skin.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" I cried.

"Shit... this shirt was new! Asswipe! Watch where your going!"

I was stunned. His voice clear and crisp, yet deep, cutting the sound of laughter like ice. It was a voice that commanded respect and recognition. What I deemed an angel surely didn't have the purest of mouth in the world.

I raised my hands to chest level, palms open. The sign of resignation and apology.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean to throw my drink all over you"

"Wear fucking glasses you son of a bitch!"

I felt my eyes knit into a glare. That was uncalled for.

"Well fuck you too!" I replied.

I watched his eyes darken and I could see he really wanted to punch me. I expected him to but he didn't. Instead he just stared at me. His gaze was cold, hard, steely. His golden eyes bore straight into me, looking at me incredulously. I gulped. His gaze was so intense and it only seemed to be maximised by the dim lighting of the club. He sniffed at me then pushed his hands deep into his pockets.

"Fuck this shit. I'm going home"

With that he walked off. For a brief moment, I watched him disappear into the crowd towards the exit. It took another moment to realise that my hands were shaking and that I heart was pounding wildly against my rib cage. I swallowed painfully. Jean Kirschtein certainly didn't have the best of personalities. I had never met anyone with such a stubborn and angry streak. He was like an untamed horse, a stallion that could not be broken. I chuckled. He reminded of that horse from the movie 'Spirit', a favourite of mine when I was a child. Now I understood why Ymir said he was headstrong. I certainly got on his bad side that's for sure… and not only that, the clumsy idiot that I am had the audacity to spill alcohol over his clothes. Not a great first impression. If I ever meet him again, [the chances of meeting him would be zilch], I'd make it up to him.

I checked my iPhone, the bright light of the screen read 02:45. I groaned. I had a ten am class tomorrow for Art theory. I better get the others.

I didn't need to search for long. I found Sasha more or less hunched up over one of the vacant disabled cubicles, purging what she had drunk. Connie sat next to her, rubbing her back supporting her. Not wanting to leave those two alone I sat on the other side of Sasha, biting my lip tightly and also supporting her as she continuously emptied her stomach. If she threw up anymore, I was sure she was going to cough up her colon.

"You should have watched how much she drank. You know how much of a light weight Sasha is" I pointed out to Connie.

"I did honest! Until she had a double shot of tequila after nachos" Connie replied rolling his eyes then continued to soothe Sasha.

"Are you alright on your own? I need to find the others. The club will be closing soon"

Connie waved me away.

"I'll be fine. She's just dry heaving now… and I've just bought a bottle of water for her"

"Okay. As long as your fine" I said unsure, walking out the bathroom cubicle.

It took me fifteen minutes to find the other two… I should have known they would have sneaked into one of the more private areas of the club to steal a kiss. Christa was straddled on Ymir's lap, her arms wrapped around her girlfriend's neck and fingers entwined in her hair. Ymir gently supported her waist. I laughed quietly. They were just too cute sometimes.

I cleared my throat, catching their attention. Christa blushed, burying her face into the crook of Ymir's shoulder. When Ymir saw it was me she flipped me off and continued her previous actions.

"Well thank you Ymir, but I have to tell you Connie, Sasha and I are going to be leaving without you if you don't hurry up… and I know how much you hate Christa taking public transport" I said idly.

Ymir glared at me.

"I commend you for ruining the moment Freckles"

"You're very welcome. If there was a degree for such a thing, I'd pass with flying colours… oh and give me your keys Ymir. I know you've had more than five drinks" I responded jokingly.

Ymir somewhat moodily threw me her keys but there was no point in arguing. She knew she was in no condition to drive.

The three of us managed to squeeze out the club and I spotted Connie and Sasha, looking dishevelled at the exit.

"I'm assuming Sasha's feeling better?" I asked concerned.

"Dude, I swear she coughed up everything but her heart and lungs" Connie exaggerated. Sasha was leaning against him, one arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"Would you like some help?" I offered.

He shook his head.

"Nah, I can take care of my girl"

The drive back to Hermiha University was quiet and uneventful. I had almost forgotten the incident of spilling my beverage on that DJ's shirt. Shit happens. For once Ymir didn't criticise my 'girly' 'safe' driving skills. She by some miraculous purpose had fallen fast asleep and I was thankful for the peace and quiet. I pulled into Gate 11 at Hermiha university, right next to the girls' dorms.

"Christa, tell Ymir that I'll park her car in my dorm parking lot for the night. I'll leave the keys in my room. She knows what dorm room I'm in… and Connie, I think Sasha may need more then a couple of aspirin for tomorrow morning"

Connie shrugged.

"That is if she wakes up in the morning. I'll see you in a few minutes"

I nodded my goodbye and drove off towards the boys dormitories. I wasn't surprised at the little number of people around, save for the incredibly studious or the ones who were sick in bed with the flu. There was a university 'fraternity' party on the same night so many were at the 'Roundhouse' celebrating. I parked Ymir's car in the second floor parking lot then headed towards my the East wing of Trost dorm. I shared on floor with Connie, and four more boys in the same year as me. Eren Jaeger, Armin Arlert, Berthold Hoover and Reiner Braun. I got on well with them as much as I did with Connie. The four of them did separate degrees. Eren a BA in Criminology (Don't ask me why), Armin Arlert did a BA in Arts, (I had English with him), Berthold a BA in Business and Reiner, being the muscly guy did a BA in physical education. We all each had our own separate rooms but we all shared two bathrooms and showers, a common area and kitchen for all of us.

When I got to our dorm area I wasn't surprised to see Armin curled up on the floor in the common room, fast asleep. Text books about Women's literature, Gertrude Steins 'Tender buttons', a Norton's anthology and numerous notes strewn around him. A thin trail of salvia traced down his mouth, his golden shoulder length hair had fallen across his face. His golden shoulder length hair had fallen across his face and I held back a snort. Quietly, I draped a blanket from one of the sofas onto his sleeping form so he wouldn't catch a cold and carefully made my way to my own room, tentatively entering it before closing the door softly behind me.

I tossed Ymir's car keys on my desk table then turned on the light. I winced, the warm yellow light from the ceiling was blinding after having gotten used to the darkness. My room although small gave off its comforting sensation of clutter. Text books stacked on my desk, my apple MacBook Pro charging along with them. My bed stood against opposite with the built in wardrobe a few feet away from the bed. I sighed, kicking off my black doc martin boots then discarded my jumper and jeans. I couldn't be bothered to change into my pyjamas. I was fine sleeping in my T-shirt and boxer briefs. Tiredly, I turned the light switch off before pulling back my clean bed sheets and crawled into bed.

I let my head rest against the goose feather pillow and stared at the ceiling, thinking of nothing. Just staring into the blank empty void, trying to let my mind rest. I heard the soft sounds of Connie entering the dorm and head to his own room but nothing after that. A vivid image of Jean Kirsctein's face emerged from the farthest parts of my brain. I groaned and turned onto my side, pressing my palms against my face. His golden eyes were so fierce and serious. I had never seen such a beautiful colour before. It was the first time I'd been interested in anyone for a very long time… I let out a sigh, then crushed a pillow over my head. I had an early start tomorrow morning. I have no time to get hung up on a guy who I just met… and just destroyed his clothes in the process.

'Fuck… what is wrong with me?'

* * *

I didn't get much sleep that night… around 6 hrs but something was better than nothing. I had the worst hang over known to man. I had no heart to attend my two hour art theory tutorial session. But being the good and studious person that I am, dragged my butt and my aching head to class albeit extremely unwillingly. I skipped breakfast, not in the mood for food but instantly regretted my decision. The tutorial seemed to dwindle into long monotonous minutes. Sigmund's Freud's theory on the white board became words of mumbo jumbo and my stomach growled continuously throughout the session.

I was moody when I left class. I wanted lunch… I wanted food in my stomach and I wanted it badly. I'm not the best person when I'm on an empty stomach. I muttered and complained about the difficult theories that had not sunk in from today's class, one hand deep within my pockets, lap top in my back pack and art theory books cradled in the other arm. I was so wrapped up in my own selfish world that I collided head long into another person, my books and his own thrown high into the air from the impact and dropping down onto our heads.

WHY DO I KEEP ON DOING THAT!

"FUCK! That hurt!"

That voice… it couldn't be? That crisp, cool voice...

I rubbed my sore head and blinked until realised I was staring into the same bright war, liquid gold eyes that had haunted my very dreams last night. Jean Kirschtein peered at me, a look of confusion crossing his face. His eyes widened then his brows knitted into a deep frown when he recognised me.

"It's you! I swear you have to be the clumsiest fucker around here"

I grumbled moodily, not in the mood for his stubbornness.

"You're just as guilty this time you moron!" I replied picking up my books and then started to pick up Jean Kirsctein's.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Being helpful. Is that such a crime?" I asked, standing up and brushing my pants from dust. I offered a hand to help him up. He gave me a strange expression, one of uncertainty and disbelief.

"Yes there are people who are THAT nice in this world. Are you going to sit there all day?" I said reading his thoughts.

He begrudgingly took my offered palm and I heaved him up into a standing position. His grip was strong, firm and trusting. Jean Kirsctein wasn't much taller than me. Maybe a little shorter.

I looked at the headings at one of his text books. It was a book about music theory and the other was to do with composing electronic music. I handed them to Jean Kirsctein.

"Uh… thanks I guess, even if you are a clumsy idiot"

"You're welcome"

He took the books. I could see in his eyes that he was trying to comprehend my polite nature, as if he didn't believe being nice was a thing in this world.

"Who are you anyway? You keep bumping into me… literally"

"I'm Marco… Marco Bodt. I'm a student here… You're Jean Kirsctein"

He raised an eyebrow.

"What are you some sort of stalker? How the heck do you know my name?"

"You were at the Golden Sheaf as DJ. My friends told me about you… word gets round at Hermiha Uni"

"And you're the guy who poured beer all over my shirt" Jean pointed out.

I grimaced and felt my cheeks grow hot with deep embarrassment.

"That seriously was an accident. How about I make it up to you?"

I watched Jean's expression turn from one of annoyance, to surprise then to shock, to suspicion. I smiled slightly. So this guy had emotion other than anger.

"The fuck?" he shook his head.

"When do you have your next class?"

"… At 2:00. Why?"

I looked at my iPhone. It was almost one and I was ravenous.

"How about I buy you lunch? My treat" I offered.

Jean raised a dark brow. He studied me carefully and I could feel my heart flop wildly against my rib cage. I hope he couldn't see how nervous I was.

"Just how nice are you?"

"Nice enough to offer a formal apology" I responded casually.

"Alright then… if it's free food I'm not complaining"

"Then is the Bookstore café good enough for you?"

Jean shrugged.

"Don't care. I've never been"

This time, it was my turn to be astonished.

"Are you serious? That's one of the most popular places around campus"

"I usually just eat alone in the my dorm dining hall"

"Well then… always a first for everything. This way" I said smiling.

I lead the way to the bookstore café. I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't tell what this guy was thinking. I faced forward, pretending to have some sort of purpose but to be honest, I was winging it.

The café was busy but I managed to grab a table upstairs in the far corner near the book shelves. No arm chairs but it was right next to the window overlooking the city and the campus.

I handed Jean a menu and I watched him glaze of the large variety of food types. For a brief moment I took the time to appreciate his appearance… hey you can't blame me. They guy sitting in front of me was pretty hot. Jean had a perfectly straight distinct facial features, a balanced square jaw. Strong, trustworthy features. The animosity in his eyes had disappeared. Since I offered to buy him lunch he let his guard down but only just. His eyes were surprisingly gentle, yet had a mischievous gleam to them. I noted with satisfaction he had a single ear piercing in his left ear, somehow further exemplifying that exotic mysterious appeal to him.

"Fuck this is fancy…" Jean said finally.

"It's reasonably priced you have to admit. So what do you feel like. The lasagne's pretty good here. It's one of their specialties". I suggested pointing at the mains.

Jean shrugged and scratched his head.

"Well since I've never eaten here before I'll take your word"

"Okay then. Two lasagnes. Will be back in one moment. Are you fine with water? I can get you a coke or sprite if you'd like?" I asked digging around my bag for my wallet.

"Ummm… coke would be great… uh… thanks Marco" he said awkwardly, slightly uncomfortable with my acts of kindness. I liked the way how he pronounced my name and the way he looked so out of place in the café. It was kind of cute.

The ordering didn't take longer than five minutes and after another ten, Jean and I were tucking into our lunch of steaming hot lasagne.

"Wow… this lasagne is good!" Jean said after swallowing another mouthful.

I took a swig of my diet coke.

"Told you. It's a good place to hang out with friends" I replied.

"I'm not much of a people person… I can't exactly talk to people so casually" Jean stated.

'It's because of your stubborn attitude, that's why' I thought to myself.

"Well then… I'm guessing you're also a student at Hermiha, what do you study?"

"I'm taking a Bachelor of music studies, majoring in electronic composition. It's a four year degree"

"You a first year?" I asked, folding my arms across the table ledge.

Jean shook his head.

"No, I'm second…"

"Oh cool. I'm a second year student too. I study Fine Arts/Arts. I major in painting and English writing"

Jean fidgeted awkwardly in his chair, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

"You really don't hang around people much do you?" I asked.

Immediately, Jean turned a rather fetching shade of fire engine red.

"Shut up… this is the first time I've done this kind of thing with anyone. I usually don't have many people to talk to"

"Well, maybe now its time to break out of that habit" I suggested, spooning in another mouthful of lasagne.

"… Well I dunno… um do you do any university societies?" Jean asked, following my advice. [I could give him credit for trying].

I nodded.

"Just two… Tuesday evenings, I'm a tenor in the Music society and I accompany them sometimes if we're not doing 'A Capella' work. Don't laugh but on Thursday evenings I'm in the Latin dance society"

"Pffftt! Are you serious Marco?" Jean laughed. My eyes widened. It was the first time I had seen him smile, let alone laugh. I liked hearing him laugh.

I pretended to be annoyed.

"I told you not to laugh… I was dragged by my friends since they're short on guys… And I'm pretty decent at it too, I'd like to point out!" I replied jabbing my finger at the table.

"Yeah whatever…" He said, still in fits of giggles.

"What about you? You in anything?"

"Only the Amnesty International society"

I raised my eyebrow. That's surprising.

"As for hobbies, I like to compose and play the piano. I like painting and drawing portraits in my spare time too if I don't have a lot of work. What about you Jean?"

Jean sighed.

"I'm not one for hobbies…"

"But what about being a DJ? I saw you at The Golden Sheaf and you looked like you really enjoyed it. Are you thinking of becoming a DJ after you graduate"

"I better… I didn't do that hard music theory work for nothing!" Jean said, pushing his empty plate away.

I laughed. "That's true"

"So what, are you going to be an artist or something?"

"Probably along the lines of that… I do a dual degree so that widens my choices for a bit. At the moment, I just need to graduate" I grinned.

I checked the time on my IPhone and it was fifteen minutes to two. I would be having English creative writing class soon.

"Well I gotta get going. My class starts soon" I said, gathering up my things. I caught Jean's facial expression and he almost looked despondent at the thought of our lunch ending. I took this as an opportunity to ask for his number.

"We should do this again sometime during the week. I enjoyed lunch"

A smile of hope lit Jean's face.

"Seriously? You mean it?"

Aww… He was just too cute for words.

"Yeah, I mean that's what uni students do after class"

I grabbed a small notebook and pen from my bag and quickly jotted down my number for him. I handed the torn piece of paper and he examined the number with a keen interest.

"Just text me your number and I'll save it on my phone. We should also exchange timetables so we know when the other is free or not"

"Uh… sure. Um… thanks for lunch Marco"

I smiled softly, shouldering my back pack.

"No worries. I'll be expecting the text with your number soon. See you around Jean".

I waved a goodbye. I was feeling light hearted after that lunch. Jean Kirschtein might be the most stubborn idiot in the world, he certainly deserved a friend. I'm sure he was just lonely like me. The anger was probably just a facade for his feelings of isolation. I was grinning from ear to ear, raising my head into the the warm radiant sunlight, letting my face bask in it. I feel this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

_After watching the 16th episode of the fan made audio 'Attack on Space' and having my heart torn out in the process, I needed to write up an extra long chapter of JeanMarco fluff to make me feel better… but oh god! Attack on Space, why do you give me so many feels!  
_

_Love,_

_Evening Falls_


	3. A Little One on One Bonding

_Hi guys. Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been continuing my other SNK fan fiction as well as working on my 3DMG for SMASH Anime convention in August. I haven't had much inspiration for this story… writing about university life is surprisingly difficult. Even though I experience this life myself, I'm always worried whether writing the mundane little activities and happenings I go through would be an interesting topic… nevertheless, I know those who follow this story would want me to continue this fan fiction so here's another chapter to keep you going. _

_Not so fluffy… but friendship is cute too!_

* * *

It was a little after my English lecture that I finally received Jean's text and to be honest, I was anticipating it more than I should have. I hardly paid attention to my English professor nor did I jot down the somewhat complex diagrams and table comparison between modernist and post modernist literature. After packing away my text books into my bag, I eagerly peered at the unfamiliar number and the text on the screen of my phone.

_'0231 564 322' - here's my number. Thnks for lunch. your still a clumsy ass wipe. Jean :P_

I chuckled at the grammatical errors of Jean's text. It suited his personality. I quickly saved the number into my favourites.

I clicked the reply button and began typing, not caring that I was standing in the middle of the entrance of my lecture hall.

_Thanks for this. We should meet up for lunch again soon. We can even meet tonight for dinner in one of the university halls. Sound good?_

I glanced over the text a few times before sending. That will have to do for now. I stretched until I felt a satisfying click. I checked my watch and grimaced. I didn't have much time until my part time job. Snacking would have to wait.

Unlike most students I had an unusual but extremely enjoyable part time job as a drawing and painting instructor to young children in the eastern suburbs a little way from my university. It paid well, $27.50 an hour and they were three hour classes. Worked 9 hours on a Sunday and three hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was the youngest teacher, thus I usually took the children's classes.

I was only a few minutes late. Public transport was an absolute nightmare in the late afternoon but my students AND my boss didn't seem to mind. My shift was easy. It was basically a continuation of my last class, a still life drawing session of a bowl of fruit and flowers on a clothed table. I didn't need to do much except help my students by drawing slight foundations of objects as guidelines for them. With the students busy, I sat at my desk trying my best to complete set essays and finish work from today's tutorial sessions.

With the children busy drawing and my aimlessly touch typing at my laptop, I had grown used to the tranquility of the classroom. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt the vibrations of my iPhone through my jean pocket. I discovered it was Jean. I raised my eyebrows surprised but somewhat pleased that he had answered my text quickly. I didn't expect him to answer mine so soon.

_"Hey… it's jean and WTF? u wanna meet up so soon? that's creepy shit"_

I smiled silently, not wanting to disturb my students.

_"Well why not? I'm assuming you also live on campus. We didn't really have much time to talk during lunch and my dorm is serving burritos for dinner tonight!"_ I texted back.

Within minutes, I received Jean's next text - Ellipses.

_"…"_

_"Come on. You're not doing anything tonight right? My dorm also has a massive common area with a kitchen and TV and Xbox, where we can play video games. It will be fun!" _I encouraged.

_"ok"_

I felt the corners of my mouth widen until I knew I was grinning from ear to ear. I could just picture Jean's excitement despite the moody texts.

_"My shift at work ends in half an hour. See you at Trost dormitory dining hall at 7:30?" _

_"sure. see u soon" _

See you soon… how cute!

An hour was an eternity for me, so much that a few of my students noticed my agitation when they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. The bus ride back to university was no better, having to wait and stand in a crowded space near the doors and in heavy traffic. My stomach growled loudly and I constantly checked my watch for the time. I was going to be late if this kept up. However, at the next turning, the traffic began to lessen once again. By the time my bus reached my stop, I sprinted down the dimly lit main walkway of the university, narrowly dodging the tired and withdrawn day students that were about to make their journey home. The night was surprisingly cold but I didn't care about pulling my woollen pull over I had carelessly stuffed in my bag for nights like this. My mind was sorely focused on trying to get to Trost dorm in the remaining few minutes I had.

I found Jean standing at the entrance of the dining hall, a look of helplessness and shyness crossing his face. He hung back in the shadows near a concrete pylon, his hands tucked deep in the pockets of his cargo pants trying his best to keep out of the cold. I watched his form briefly as he quietly stared longingly at the varying clusters of people entering the brightly lit dining hall.

I waved to him, running towards him at the same time.

"Jean! Over here!" alerting his attention.

His head swivelled round and he widened his eyebrows at my worn out dishevelled state.

"What the fuck happened to you? Are you practicing for a marathon or something?" Jean asked.

I laughed tiredly.

"I wish! Come on, this way. We better find a place to sit quickly before the tables fill up" I said between breaths.

I gestured him to follow me and I was surprised how packed it was already. The majority of the tables, especially the ones closest to the food and beverages were already taken save for a few empty ones in the back near the window. The smell of hot food made my mouth water. I was absolutely starving and I swear, it felt as if a demon inside of my very own stomach was trying to claw its way out, begging me to feed it. I dished two burritos and a generous helping of salsa and sour cream over mine before grabbing a can of diet coke.

Although the dining hall was crowded, we were fortunate to find an empty table with chairs at the far left hand corner near the large glass windows overlooking the dormitory court yard. We tucked into our food immediately and I was thankful Jean had no objection eating first for a few reasons.

1. It broke the awkwardness between the two of us

2. It allowed me to think of a topic to actually talk about

and 3 … I was ravenous and irritable.

I swallowed the last of my burrito, washing my mouth with a small swig of diet coke. I started the conversation with the most basic topic I could think of, an apology for my lateness.

"That filled the empty hole. Sorry for being late. Traffic around the area of where I work is a nightmare. You didn't have to wait long did you?"

Jean shook his head.

"Nah. I arrived a few minutes before you"

A moment of silence passed between us and I clenched my fist under the table at the uncomfortable feeling.

"So… uh how was work?" Jean asked me, trying to make as much as an effort as I was.

I shrugged.

"It was okay. I've had better days"

"What do you work as?"

"Me? I'm a casual drawing instructor for children and those who have no knowledge in the Fine Arts. I like doing it… it pays well"

Jean released a small snicker but it wasn't malicious. On the contrary it was the first time I heard him laugh, a content smile gracing his features. His laugh was sincere and gentle.

"Heh. Go figure" he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

"What's that mean?" I asked, feigning childish annoyance.

"You didn't seem to be the labourer or the one serving the drinks kind of guy. You're way too clumsy and too much of a pushover for that"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Well thank you very much, Jean. What about you, aside from being a local DJ? Do anything else?"

He nodded.

"I work part time at a convenience store nearby. Being a DJ is something I enjoy and for extra cash" he explained, folding his arms and leaning against the table.

"You must take music pretty seriously if you enjoy it that much. You play an instrument?" I asked, curious.

"The guitar and enough piano to get me by. I can sight read a little. The piano helps me for compositions and shit. You?"

"I can play the piano… but I stopped when I passed my Grade 8 exam. Somehow teaching people to play the piano as well as music theory seemed too much trouble than it's worth. I do like playing for leisure though. I try and practice as much as I can on the upright piano in my dorm's common room"

Jean raised his eyebrows and looked envious.

"You have an upright piano in your dorm? Lucky" he said moodily.

I smiled, shrugging.

"Yeah, I was kind of lucky I ended up in Trost dorm"

As the minutes ticked by, I felt I was beginning to unravel the person who called himself Jean Kirschtein and I could see our conversation, no matter, how small had an impact on him. His usual hostile facial expression relaxed into a languish grin. His body position was no longer rigid and his sentences and stories grew in length nor did he talk in a guarded sharp tone. His voice was generally more calm and collected. There was even a slight impish and playfully mischievous gleam in his golden brown eyes, something I believed was genuine, telling me that this was the real Jean Kirschtein in front of me… and it was gorgeous.

We must have sat there for more than an hour and a half as I could see from the peripheral vision students gradually leaving the dining hall to head off to their rooms or to an evening class until it was just the two of us in that large well lit room. Our voices echoed loudly but we didn't care. We talked about the most simple things, our classes, what kind of teachers we had and why we detested them, laughing at each other's impersonations of the ones we didn't like. (Jean was surprisingly a great actor!). We both shared a mutual agreement that group work only teaches you how to hate others rather than improve team work skills. It felt as if I'd known Jean for ages, despite the fact we didn't meet under the best of circumstances. The two of us even pressed further, sharing rather personal things about ourselves, although Jean was not as much as confident as I was.

"I have an older brother and younger sister as well as my parents. My brother Jake is in the navy. My little sister, well half sister is only five. My mum, Elaine is my dad's second wife. She's alright… she was the only female relative I could ever look up to, despite the fact she's my step mum. My dad is pretty awesome too and my little sister follows be like a baby chick wherever I go"

Jean's golden eyes were filled with a deep sense of longing, then sudden resentment.

He released a harsh breath, and clenched his jaw.

The look of hostility had suddenly returned. I knew instantly what stemmed his anger and gruff nature.

"I guess you're parents aren't the greatest role models in the world?" I asked gently.

"Heh. I'm lucky enough to even have parents… even if they are the shittiest people in this world"

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to" I explained, not wanting to spoil the friendship we had just started.

Jean laughed.

"It's a little too late for that Freckles" he said.

My cheeks grew red hot with embarrassment. Although Ymir and my other friends had given me a similar nickname, hearing Jean's say it made me blush like a sixth grade school girl.

"… Shut up!" I replied.

"That's a nice look for you? Your face matches the red plastic plates we just used" Jean teased playfully. I liked that side of him even though it only made my blush worsen.

He smiled softly, albeit a despondent one.

"I… I don't really have a dad… only my mother and younger brother Alix" he said, more to himself than to me.

"Oh… I'm sorry about your loss-" I began to say.

"Oh nothing like that Marco. The bastard's still alive"

I looked at him confused.

"But, you said-"

"He's dead in my eyes you can say" Jean said, looking away and outside the courtyard.

I couldn't trust myself to speak. I just waited until what Jean had to say.

"My dad, I did think he was the greatest. When I was little, I thought he was the greatest man alive. A superhero even… that is until he met another woman ten years his junior. You can take a guess. He had an affair, left my mum, my brother and I when she got pregnant with his child. I had just started middle school. It was difficult with mum, trying to raise two boys. I did my best to help her, got a part time job to support her and my brother… but even then that wasn't enough. My mother is also a little hysterical to the point she couldn't look after herself. Social workers had to put my brother and I with relatives. It was hard for me to live without my parents but more painful to see the other kids with happy families… You're incredibly lucky Marco. I somehow coped with moving from social worker to social worker. When I got a scholarship to university, I just jumped at the chance to escape. My brother is alright… he's finally with a family that treat him as their own son. Were okay now… and as long as Alix is doing fine, then I can to…

"Where… where was your dad in all of this?" I asked him.

"Heh, having a fine time with his new family… it was only after I had just gotten into university did he finally start to notice my brother and I. I just told him to go fuck himself"

"Oh" was the only sensible answer I could form.

We were silent for a brief minute. I was too disheartened by Jean's childhood to say anything.

"Marco?" Jean said finally.

"Yeah?" I answered quietly.

"I don't want to hear you say that you hate your parents, no matter how many times they molly coddle you or get on your nerves… I would have died to experience just a day of that. I don't want anyone experiencing what I went through" Jean said.

I sat there completely stunned, taking this information all in. I could understand why Jean preferred to keep to himself and why he showed so much anger to others. He had been disappointed by the people he cared for so many times. What was the point of him trying to make friends and rely on others when they were inevitably going to let him down?

"Jean… you're a strong person" I said finally.

That caught him off guard.

"Hah? Strong? Don't be idiotic"

"I'm serious Jean. I've never experienced that kind of loss so I'm probably being biased but you're a strong person. Emotionally strong… and you're nice. You're too nice"

"Nice? Says the one who picks up my books for me and apologises at every little detail" Jean retaliated softly.

"Jean listen to me… you're too kind. You don't know that about yourself. You supported your mother and brother in every possible way you could. You didn't complain about being passed around from one family to another like some sort of object. You don't want others to undergo what you went through… in my opinion Jean that is the epitome of kindness and its probably the most humane and gentle trait in the world" I replied firmly.

Jean's cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"You sound like you know everything about me. What are you? Some sort of human fortune cookie?"

"I confess I don't know much about you… but I do know enough to consider you my friend" I replied honestly.

Jean looked at me astonished.

"You consider me as a friend?" he asked me as if it was the strangest phenomenon in the world.

I looked at him oddly.

"Uh… yes. What else would I consider you?"

Jean chuckled at that.

"I don't know. A guy who treated you like shit when we first met?" he asked humorously despite the seriousness of the topic.

I have to admit, I laughed at Jean's sharp wit and humour.

"You don't seem like the kind of person to randomly pour his life's secrets to just anyone. Yes I consider you my friend Jean. And I'm not one to abandon friends either...That is if you want to be friends"

Jean sighed.

"I've never really had the chance to make friends. When I did, it would always be the time when I was about to move to yet another foster home. I'll most likely be the worst friend ever" he said softly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Would you crash my car into a concrete pillar and never pay for damage or pour water on my bed sheets to look like I've wet the bed?" I asked nonchalantly.

Jean looked horrified at the prospect.

"Why the fuck would I do that? More or less, who would do that?"

I thought of Sasha and Connie, grimacing at their antics.

"I know a couple… I just hope you don't go through what I've experienced. No? Well that just confirms my belief that you'd be a great friend, Jean" I continued.

Jean looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Friends huh? I like the sound of that" Jean said finally. I could tell by the mild and welcoming warmth of his voice that he was was smiling at the prospect.

"You like video games?" I asked, suddenly changing the topic.

Jean chuckled.

"Depends. You play Final Fantasy?" He asked in return, grinning from ear to ear.

"You like Final Fantasy 7?" I smiled back.

"You're on"

* * *

_Hi guys. That's all for now folks. Sorry for the short length but it's just casual bonding. _

_Love, _

_Evening Falls. _


	4. Kiss In The Morning

_So another chapter for you all! Sorry for the late update. I've just started my second semester of university and already I've been thrown into assessments! (I just completed one last night and in the process of completing another). Nevertheless I feel I'm going to enjoy the subjects I've decided to take, Textiles, Creative writing and Film music! Art theory… not so much. It's a core subject so what can I do? But Creative writing really makes me think on what I've done so far. I have a long way to go if I really want to impress people with my writing skills. I'm still a novice so please bear with me. _

_Just so you get a picture of Marco's university in your mind, I'm actually basing the campus off the university I attend, although my Fine Arts Campus and Main campus are separate from each other and I have to travel between them. Marco has his Fine Arts campus alongside the main one. And yes, Marco is very lucky to have a kitchen and a large common area in his dormitories. Although I don't live in a dormitory, (even though I think its time I should), I have friends who live on campus and share a main common area and kitchen. And yes, we have many facilities on campus such as a convenience store, several cafés and lounges… even a chocolate bar… we are pretty spoilt. If you're wondering whether a University actually exists in this world, travel to Sydney Australia and you'll find out! XD_

_Yes there's fluff! Oooh! Fluff! Glorious fluff and it's a little sensual too! :3 :3 :3 :3_

* * *

I do admit Jean was a little awkward and shy when I introduced my friends. He did get on well with Armin surprisingly, discovering they shared the same taste in books and a fondness for comics and manga. I was even more astounded to find out that he and Eren had known one another since middle school and that Jean more or less had a crush of Eren's adoptive sister Mikasa for as long as Eren could remember much to Jean's deep embarrassment and chagrin. I studied their relationship as we set up the game. Jean loudly exclaimed they were destined rivals… I thought they were more of bickering buddies. Armin kindly fetched the required game from my bedroom and Berthold out of the blue, decided to make hot chocolate for everyone to drink at the small kitchen area.

If I remember correctly, Jean and I played Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core a little after 12:30 thirty at night in our floor's common area, my friends as spectators casually throwing in criticising remarks about my playing skills and commending Jean's. However, this caused a slight problem for Jean. Oh no. Don't worry. It wasn't the fact that my friends were commenting about Jean's strengths and occasionally making him redden at the face from time to time, it was because of a more trivial matter. Security issues...

Our security on campus was a little overboard. Like a prestigious high school, dormitory doors were automatically set to lock at 12:00pm exactly excluding weekends and on holidays. There were two ways to enter certain dorms around lock down time. Either through typing in a numerical pass code on a keypad or through a key scanner/buzzer. Since I was in Trost dorm, I was fortunate to get a dorm with the numerical keypad and an easy six digit code. Jean unfortunately slept in Dorm Maria which had a key scanner. Jean had left his key ring on his desk in his room, probably because he didn't expect to stay in my dormitory for so long. Judging by his facial expression, he was in no mood in walking to the security office on the other side of campus and ask assistance at the supposedly awake guards on duty.

"You can stay for the night" I offered, sifting in my wardrobe for my sleeping clothes.

Jean looked at me, comfortably sprawled on my bed and I had to hold back a snort at his incredulous frown.

"You really don't have to go through that trouble Freckles" Jean said.

I rolled my eyes.

"You don't have much of a choice really since you live in dorm Maria. You've forgotten your key chain so you're stuck. You have to stay here… and besides its Saturday tomorrow"

I threw him a spare shirt I usually slept in before slipping off my trousers then pulled on a pair of pyjama bottoms. Jean looked at the shirt briefly then shrugged, undoing the button of his jeans then slipped them off. I took care not to look at him when he pulled his shirt over his head. From my peripheral vision, I could just see the outline of his well toned and slim body. He wasn't burly like Reiner but he was lean and well built at the torso. It took every fibre of my being not to blush at the sight of him. I released a small breath of relief when he pulled on my sleeping shirt.

"… And by the way your sprawled on my bed tells me your not going anywhere, even if I tried dragging you" I added on, slumping into my desk chair.

Jean flipped me off and I reached my right leg over to playfully kick him in side.

"Ow!" Jean feigned annoyance and hurt, clutching his side in mock pain. Since he acted pretty well I thought I kicked harder than I meant too, catching me off guard and releasing a stream of apologies from my mouth. I only caught a glimpse of Jean's signature smirk before he hurled one of my pillow's right into my face.

I glared at Jean, laughing hysterically on my bed then I felt the corners of my mouth turn up into a devious smile.

"So that's how it is?" I said, my voice low then sent the pillow flying right back into Jean's face.

From then on it was a flurry of blows and the vivid colours of navy blue and red of the pillow case fabric as we continued to playfully spar at one another with feather pillows. Our laughter rang loudly in my bedroom, so loudly that Eren clad only in his boxers, his hair tussled came to investigate the commotion, complaining that we were too loud. In response, Jean threw a pillow directly at his face to shut him up. Stunned only for a split second, his turquoise eyes widened then sparked with anger, realising what Jean had just done.

"Fuck you Kirschtein!" Eren cried, throwing the pillow back into Jean's gut then running back into the common room to fetch one of the cushions in the common area as well as encouraging Reiner, Connie, Berthold and Armin to emerge from their rooms to join in on tonight's pillow fight. I had fun that night. I hadn't had a pillow fight since I was a kid and let me tell you now, it wasn't as all soft and fluffy as I remembered as a child. Being the strong young macho guys we are, some of us put a lot of strength into our hits and blows, especially Reiner and Eren who were really into the battle of pillows. But even our bodies knew our limit, around two thirty in the morning, my 'team' admitted defeat and we all slept in the common area, either on the carpet floor or collapsed on the sofas exhausted from our efforts. Only when Armin's alarm clock, set at a ridiculously early time for a weekend did we wake up, albeit moodily, untangling our limbs from the cushions.

Reiner immediately filled the kettle with water, setting it to boil then made instant black coffee for all of us whilst I made breakfast; a large portion of scrambled eggs and toast. It was at times like these I was so grateful for being on a campus that had every facility known to man. Not only did we have a kitchen in our dormitory, we had a convenience store on campus where we usually stocked food for the fridge as well as several cafés. We even have a chocolate bar. The seven of us sat on the ground, cross legged, paper plates balanced on our laps and ate together.

"Any plans this weekend?" Reiner asked me, his mouth filled with scrambled egg.

"Not really. Maybe polish up an english essay and maybe start on another, just to get it done early and out the way"

"Is that the 'Creative Writing one? That's not due until two weeks" Armin said.

I shrugged.

"I don't care and I like creative writing class"

I turned to Jean who was spooning the last of his scrambled eggs and spreading it onto his toast before taking a large bite from it.

"What about you Jean?

After a few seconds of chewing and swallowing, he finally spoke.

"I've just completed a composition for my Electronic Music class and I also have a music theory test next week but the shit I'm learning is crazy hard. I'll never be ready for it. Music theory goes over my fucking head sometimes"

Trouble in music theory? Well I would be happy to tutor him in the things he didn't know.

"What kind of music theory? For electronic music? Is it related to beats and synths?" Armin asked, interested in Jean's degree.

"God no. I have to learn all this stuff about rhythm, cadences and chordal progressions. It's useful to some degree I guess but it can get really technical"

"Sounds tough. I heard you had to get a high overall grade in high school if you wanted to peruse a career in electronic music. You must have worked really hard" Berthold said in awe.

Jean grinned.

After another fifteen minutes of talking about random things, we headed off for the showers. (I leant Jean a spare towel of mine) Jean beat Eren in getting to the shower first. There were only three stalls and three toilets so sometimes having a peaceful shower was a bit of an issue. If you think girls sharing one bathroom was chaos, six, well in this case seven guys sharing bathrooms was utter hell.

I was out of the shower after thirty minutes of arm wrestling Berthold for a turn, misplacing my shampoo and fighting for my towel with Eren. I released a long drawn sigh, as I vigorously dried my body with my towel then wrapped it around my waist, using a smaller hand towel to dry my wet hair. I found Jean in a similar state, standing at the window looking out into the courtyard. Through the small cracks of the towel, I admired how the yellow sun light bathed his slightly tanned skin, illuminating it. The maroon towel I had given him hung loosely at his hips. His hair dripped with water, causing rivulets of it to run down the short dark undercut to the nape of his neck and down his muscled back. I felt my eyes wander south, down his beautifully toned torso, to his abdomen, to the delicate trail of dark brown hair below his naval… leading down lower… lower to… NO! NOT NOW! STOP IT MARCO! Jean's is going to notice you standing there gawking like an idiot! I felt my cheeks redden and I mentally kicked myself.

"What? Like what you see, Marco?"

Huh?!

I looked up, discarding the towel I was using to dry my hair. Jean leant against the window frame, his arms crossed, his head turned slightly to the the left. His golden eyes were almost brown in the lighting, seductive and alluring, his lips turned up in a sexy little half smile. FUCK...

'Uh… what?' was the only sensible thing that I could say… I was so glad the others were elsewhere.

"I said, do you like what you see Freckles?" Jean asked, his voice low and silky as honey.

'…'

Jean laughed gently.

'Relax Marco. I'm kidding!'

I blushed badly and I childishly threw the short towel in my hand at him. He caught it with ease.

"Dry your hair will you? Otherwise your going to catch a cold" I said moodily, unable to look at him in the eye.

"Yeah, yeah" he began to dry his hair with the towel I gave him. I sat down on one of the sofas and I thought of Ymir's statement on Jean having a flirtatious personality. Maybe he was just doing it for shits and giggles and trying to get me riled up.

"Hah? Did I do something wrong?"

I looked at Jean.

"You shouldn't say those kind of things so casually… people might get the wrong idea about you… and you might get the wrong idea about others" I replied, thinking that was the most logical thing to say.

Jean tossed the towel onto the floor and sat down next to me on the sofa. He looked at me curiously and I could feel his gaze on me. At that moment, I was the one who felt awkward and out of place.

"So what? I don't really care what people think of me… but am I wrong? Am I wrong to assume that what I did was something you'd like?"

I looked at Jean astonished.

"What?"

"Well, I was openly flirting with you. Didn't you like it?"

I almost lost my balance on the sofa, my cheeks burning at Jean's incredibly blunt honesty.

"I didn't realise how brutally to the point you are" I admitted.

Jean laughed.

"That's what people tell me. Anyway, if I was wrong, sorry… I guess that must have creeped you out"

"Creeped me out? Why would I be creeped out?"

"Well that's what I'm asking you. Are you?"

I was a little lost at where this conversation was going. Then it dawned on me.

"Connie… Connie didn't say anything to you did he?" I asked, my voice soft.

The gentleness of Jean's kind and calm expression almost made me want to cry with despair. He gave a small smile and nodded. I looked at my feet.

"So, I guess Connie told you huh?"

"You being gay? Yeah?" Jean said.

I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Sorry. I should have told you. It's not right to keep secrets from friends. You especially"

"Well it's not something most people willingly share Marco. To be honest, I'm not exactly surprised"

I looked at him.

"You're not?"

Jean shook his head.

"Well at first maybe, but when I connected your personality and the fact you're not seeing anyone at the moment kind of tied things together… and Connie said I was kind of your type if I might add"

I groaned, pressing my head into my hands.

"Next time I see Connie, I'm going to castrate the son of a bitch"

A few moments of silence passed between us.

"So… how long...?" Jean asked, stopping the question in mid sentence. It didn't have to take a psychic to figure out what he was asking me.

"Since I was fifteen, I've always been more attracted to our own gender. I've tried dating girls but it never worked out. My parents know, my sister. They're fine with it. The guys know… and now you"

I couldn't look at Jean. I was far to embarrassed and ashamed. Jean rubbed my shoulder.

"Ah what the fuck Marco. I don't care whether you prefer guys over girls. It doesn't stop us from being friends! Honestly it's alright" Jean said reassuringly.

I smiled gratefully. I was so glad that Jean was unprejudiced. Although, I was a little disheartened that Jean had to find out about my sexuality. I was extremely worried this would affect our friendship but then again, being honest with Jean was so much easier than hiding the truth. It made things so easy and lying to your best friend somehow hurt.

"Thanks, Jean. That means a lot to me. Really"

Jean grinned.

"No problem, and besides…"

Besides?

"Besides what?"

Jean's grinned softened into his signature little half smile of his. My gaze was locked with Jean's, his golden eyes were so captivating. I could stare at them forever. He leaned forward slowly until our very noses touched. We were so close our lips were just brushing against one another's. I could taste the minty aroma of his breath from my toothpaste he used. It made me dizzy.

He leaned forward to whisper in my ear. It took everything within me not to tremble when I felt his warmth breath gently warm the space just below my ear. His mouth brushed against my ear as he whispered.

"You know what, Marco?"

"Know what?" I responded softly.

"You're very much my type too"

"… You're lying… don't be foolish" I replied, wanting to hear more of his voice.

"Foolish? Marco, are you calling me foolish?" Jean's voice was dangerously low and seductive. Somehow, I had said exactly the wrong thing. He turned his head to look at me directly again. With his index finger and thumb he tilted my head slightly so my gaze met with his.

"One thing you should know Marco, I'm actually picky when it comes to partners. I'm pretty choosy… but Marco, you're a pretty interesting guy. You really do fascinate me… and when I'm interested in someone, I usually go all the way. When I want something, I get it in the end. I'm stubborn that way"

Jean closed the remaining centimetre between our lips. He pressed a small kiss on my mouth and flashed a sweet smile at me. Although the kiss was quick and chaste, it was tender and a kiss never the less. I covered my face with my hands, my heart pounding, my thoughts a disarray, not knowing what to say. I had never been so flustered in my life.

"Fuck me" cursing how I was reacting.

"I'd love to one day!" Jean teased, his wit quick and sly as ever.

I playfully elbowed him in the gut for that.

"Put a shirt will you, before you give me a nosebleed." I said, giving into his teasing.

Jean laughed, standing up and walking to my bedroom to change.

"Yeah, yeah"

Once again I was left alone to think quietly to myself. My fingertips tentatively touched my lips, still tingling and warm from Jean's kiss. I was at a loss on what to do and what to think. What did he mean that I was his type? I'm sure it was just flirtation, nothing to get excited about. I couldn't wish too much, even though it was extremely painful not to. Jean was one unassuming kind of guy. So aloof and cold but when you get to know him, he's unusually tender hearted and easy to get along with… now I find out he's _my, _emphasis on the word 'my', biggest tease in the world.

"So… uh, you can forgive me about telling Jean about your sexuality right?" Connie's young lighthearted voice piped up, breaking my train of thought completely. His head poked out from his adjacent bedroom door.

_'Forgive him?' _

Did Connie just ask me… to _Fucking Forgive him!?_

I clenched my hands into two tight fists, my knuckles straining, turning white from the effort. I cocked my head up to the side and smiled sweetly even though I wanted to rip his intestines out of his very body and hang them up on the roof of our dormitory.

"Forgive you my dearest Connie? Of course I'll forgive you!" I said, exaggerating the 'forgive'.

Connie sighed, seemingly relieved at my response.

I chuckled darkly.

"AFTER I FUCKING CASTRATE YOU, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING PIECE OF SHIT!" I screamed.

With that, Connie bolted to the door leading to the dormitories on the floor below, me following close behind him. I didn't care if I was half naked. Pride didn't matter to me as long as I get to kill that idiot for his big mouth. Needless to say, it was a while before Connie and I were actually dressed so we could get on with the rest of our day.

I didn't really see much of Jean for the Saturday morning. I walked with him back his his dormitory barely speaking to each other, nodding our goodbyes. My friend was certainly a curious one. It was almost as if he had forgotten what had occurred between us earlier this morning. Or maybe Jean felt guilty for teasing me and couldn't bring himself to openly admit that what he did was a little awkward… no. I'm just reading into this too much. I shouldn't let it get to me that much. This isn't the first time this kind of thing happened to me. I've met guys who would tease me… but unlike Jean they would toy with my emotions for their own pleasure rather out of kindness and understanding.

Without thinking, I found myself walking back to my dormitory and into our empty sunlit common room. I watched the dust particles dance for a brief moment, trying to clear my mind. I could hear the aggravated voice of Eren behind the closed door of his bedroom. From what I assume, he was having a slight argument with his sister Mikasa via a Skype video call. I walked over to the ebony upright piano, opening the lid. I gently pressed an index finger on a random note from of the many white and black keys that lay before me.

I smiled. I hadn't practiced for a while and I didn't have much to do today.

I pulled up the back leather accompanying stool, making myself comfortable on the cushion then adjusted the black knobs at the side so it suited my height. I tested the pedals. Not a squeak. I flexed my fingers and rotated my wrists until I deemed them loose enough for me to play properly. I readjusted my sitting posture, back straight and my hands poised, my fingertips just brushing the smooth surface of the keys.

I began to play.

I chose a rather sombre piece, Gnossienne No.1 by Satie. Slow, gentle and dream like, yet somehow sorrowful, I was swept in the lilting melodies of the right hand. My foot on the dampening pedal elongated the warm yet mysterious chords that supported the melody abruptly disrupting the rhythm and steady tempo. The minor key of the melody, so distant but so alluring had blocked any unwanted thoughts from my mind. I closed my eyes, feeling the corners of my mouth turn up into a warm smile. This particular song was a personal favourite as well as my family's. When I was young, my step-mother would always sing this melody to help me sleep whenever I had a nightmare. This song was truly special to me.

Once the song ended, another song followed immediately. I didn't want these feelings of tranquility that the music gave me to leave me. I just continued to play. This time something a little more cheerful, the tempo more lively but the refrains just as sweet. I played Pachelbel's Canon in D major. Whenever I played it always felt as if my fingers had a mind of their own, pressing whatever keys to create that desirable sound that I sought for, the melodies echoing in that small private room. As the last melodies came to a close, I held my fingers down on the final D major chord, waiting at peace for the last sounds fade into the background noises of my university life.

"Marco, you play beautifully!" Jean whispered, in awe.

I literally jumped right off the piano stool and landed onto the cold hard floor of the common room. Jean sat, perched on the edge of the piano stool. A combination of amazement and humour at the sight of me on the floor, scared out of my wits was etched on his face.

I clutched my chest, my heart pounding.

"Jesus Christ Jean! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Jean laughed and he leant a hand so he could pull me up.

I sat back in my original spot.

"Why are you here? How did you get back in?"

"Armin let me in. I left my wallet on your bedroom desk" he replied gesturing to his back pocket.

I looked at the white keys of the piano.

"Just how much of that did you hear?" I asked quietly.

Jean thought about that for moment.

"Well I got in by the time you just started playing Gnossienne No. 1? You were so into the music you didn't even hear me sit down next to you" Jean replied.

I looked at him horrified.

"That long!? Shit…"

"Why are you getting so worked up. I'm impressed!"

Somehow hearing Jean say that made a pleasantly warm feeling disperse in the bottom of my stomach. Jean praising me for my music skills made me very happy considering he was a music major and all.

"Uh… thanks" I scratched the back of my head embarrassed.

"How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was 8, I'm twenty now … so quite a while I guess"

"Do you just play classical?"

I shook my head.

"No. I can play pop/rock and I can sight read pretty well if people need accompaniment for something. I know a little jazz but I've been trained to play classical music mostly"

Jean's golden eyes were filled with admiration and to be honest I was a little confused and embarrassed. All I did was play two of my favourite music pieces at the piano. It was nothing to get excited about. There were lots of people who could play better than me anyway.

"Play something for me!" Jean demanded.

"What?" I asked stunned at the sudden request.

"Come on, play something!"

"But… I'll make mistakes now that I'm all worked up!" I said.

"I don't care about that. Please Marco?"

I looked into his earnest face, full of excitement. How could I say no to that? I sighed.

"Alright. But if I make a mistake don't criticise me for it. Is there anything you'd like me to play?"

"Just play whatever comes to mind"

I shrugged and began to play once more, just for Jean. I didn't play a classical piece this time. Instead I played 'Glasgow Love theme' from that Christmas chick flick, 'Love actually', another slow piece. I really wanted him to enjoy the music so I relaxed and once again immersed myself in the sound of the piano. Somehow, I found it appropriate for this situation. I couldn't see what Jean was thinking. I refused to look at him whilst I played, in case I got distracted. After that, I began to play one of my own pieces, something I composed a while ago but never got round to actually call it something. My composition was centralised around an A minor, E Major, C Major, with a distinct repetitive theme that gave the impression of moonlight painting the waves with a gentle white light over the waves of a peaceful ocean. The minor scales gave it a somewhat melancholy feel. A deep sense of longing would always fill my heart whenever I played this piece. I stopped playing once the melody moved back into the A minor refrain.

"Why did you stop?" Jean asked after a few moments of silence.

"That's all I have" I replied.

"I recognised the first song but not the second. What's it called?"

"I… I haven't named it yet. I started composing it a while back but I never got around to completing it"

"Wait, you composed it?"

"Yeah. I like to compose piano music in my spare time"

"That's amazing! Why the fuck aren't you taking music?"

"I don't usually like playing in front of people unless its for friends and family. I get bad cases of stage fright sometimes. It's a lot worse if you're a piano player. The piano is a popular instrument. The most nerve wracking thing is having someone who's absolutely brilliant perform before you and you feel like such a novice when it's your turn to shine. I play for leisure now"

Jean frowned, and looked at my hands, still hovering over the keys.

"That's a lot of talent going to waste, don't you think?" Jean asked softly.

I shook my head.

"Not really. It's not like I was planning to pursue a career in music anyway and I still do perform occasionally for small events"

"It's just…" Jean began, his sentence trailing off.

"Just what?" I asked curious.

"It's … well, when I was watching you play, you were completely lost in the music. As if you found that one perfect sound, like you were one with the music. Fuck I'm envious Marco"

I raised my eyebrows, not expecting that. I let my hands fall to my sides so they rested on the leather of the piano stool. I noticed that Jean's left hand was was only a millimetre away from mine.

"Well not quite Jean. I still haven't named the song I'm composing. It's not quite there yet… but yeah I know what you mean. When I play, I feel like I'm one with the piano"

"I still haven't found that beat yet. I want that beat to mean something to me and become one with the music"

"I understand Jean. You'll find it one day"

I felt Jean's fingertips pressed against mine ever so slightly and I was surprised to find they were trembling just ever so slightly. He touched my hand as if I would at that very moment crumble at his very fingertips and cease to exist. Feeling a small burst of tenderness, I linked my fingers with his. Jean gripped my fingers in recognition, unable to speak.

"Heh… now who's flirting?" Jean teased albeit softly.

"Well I have a right to since you kissed me this morning"

"So you're still thinking about that?"

"Heh. How can I not? After all it was out of the blue. Kissing someone you just met is kind of strange don't you think? Is that your way of saying good morning?"

Jean pretended to think.

"Why… yes it is as a matter of fact. It's now my special good morning to you since you're the very first person who made me adopt the idea!"

I blushed.

"Jeez Jean. You really are something. I really wonder about you. For someone who can pass as a notorious heterosexual heartbreaker, you sure fit in with the gay category"

"Heh heh heh!" Jeach chuckled, leaning back slightly so he could rest his head against my shoulder. He titled his head backwards slightly so his gaze could meet with mine. His golden eyes were playfully mischievous yet smile was calm and serene.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Who said I liked girls?"

"Wait… you don't?"

"No that's not what I mean. I like girls… but I also like guys as much as girls. I don't care about gender as long as they're beauty comes from the inside"

"You're bisexual? That's surprising. You don't seem the kind of person who would like guys"

Jean laughed. "Why? Because I gave you a bad first impression when you spilt your drink on me when we first me?"

I swatted his forehead lightly with my free hand.

"That's not what I mean idiot"

"Hmm… I don't know when it started but I liked guys equally as girls but since moving around so much, I never really had the chance to form a proper relationship with anyone. I kind of accepted the fact I was going to be alone for the rest of my life back then so I never tried"

"Jean, why are you telling me this?"

"Well I've accepted that you're probably the only person who I consider a close friend, i.e important to me despite being a clumsy ass wipe, I thought it was best to tell you now. Besides, since Connie told me about your sexuality, it was only fair I did the same"

"That still doesn't really explain why you kissed me thought" I pointed out, looking out the window.

"… Yeah… it doesn't. Why did I do that?"

"You… you don't know?" I asked slowly.

"No… it was all spontaneous gesture. I blame you Marco. There's something about you that made me kiss you. I just don't know what it is yet".

"Hmmm… maybe I'm just special!" I joked, grinning down at him. Jean raised a fist and flicked my nose with his index finger.

"Ow! What was that for?" I whined, rubbing my nose. Jean's raised fingertips began to trace the contours of my face. My cheekbones, across the bridge of my nose and down to my jaw.

"You really are a fucking mystery to me. I still can't believe a person like you can exist" Jean said, changing the topic suddenly.

I sighed.

"Well I'm here and I'm not going to disappear anytime soon, Jean"

"Why did I flick your nose you ask?"

"Well yeah. It hurt"

"I'm beginning to think there might be some truth about you being special, Marco"

* * *

_Finally! Chapter done! I hope it's fluffy enough for you all. I love these two so much! My little babies! I don't know how frequent I'll be updating this story. Since I'm back at uni and all I may not have much time on my hands but I'll do my best for all of you!_

_Love Evening Falls. _


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